Stay Here : Gruvia
by lockbusterr
Summary: juvia lockser and gray fullbuster were never meant to collide, yet they did. (au)
1. Chapter 1

They met at the ice rink. Juvia Lockser had been a bit bored and missed the feeling of being on skates, feeling the ice beneath her feet, therefore decided to head to her college's ice rink. She had grabbed her skates, put on her sneakers, and made her way to the rink. Thankfully, it wasn't booked for the day and no one was there. Slipping on her skates, she skated onto the thin ice whilst plugging her headphones into her ears and blasting music.

She was absolutely terrible at noticing anything around her once she gets into her 'zone', which was probably why they encountered. As she lost herself in the icy room and the music coming out of the small ear buds, a raven haired boy by the name of Gray Fullbuster made his way into the rink as well, expecting it to be vacant of course, but instead getting mesmerized but the spinning bluenette on the ice. He didn't know what to think, he had not expected to find anyone and he needed to train for the next hockey match, however as he saw her graceful movements all he wanted to was sit down and watch her for hours upon hours. Although he had no idea who she was, and it seemed like such a stalker-ish thing to do, he carefully made his way into the rink, hiding himself in the shadows while making his way closer to the ice.

That sneaky process would have worked if not for the giant hockey bag he held on his bag that banged onto the floor, causing a huge bang to echo through the room. Gray strung out a mutter of curses before picking up the bag, just as Juvia pulled out one ear bud and scanned her eyes around the room while skating towards the glass doors of the rink, then finally said loudly, "Is anyone in here?". At this point, Gray could have stayed quiet and then left, nevertheless he raised a hand and made his footsteps evident as he managed to finally reach the doors to the ice. And boy, did he not regret that decision. He didn't know her name, he didn't know where she was from or who she truly was, but in spite of that, he was compelled towards her small figure. Maybe it was the way her cheeks were flushed, or her long, and clearly unique, azure hair that cascaded down her back. Or, maybe, just maybe, it was a trick of mind and he just thought she was hot. Which was what Gray chose to go with.

Juvia had many emotions running through her. One of them was embarrassment since he saw her skate, another was exaustion, but the final one she couldn't identify. Her heart was hammering in her chest uncomfortably, her mind was a jumbled mess, and as he looked up and met her gaze, it was as if everything inside of her dissolved. He was so handsome, or at least that's what she believed. She didn't want to feel all this things inside her, she hated the feeling her heart was giving her, however she still managed to stand up a bit straighter and open her mouth (although she honestly wished she didn't). "Hi, who are you and what were you hiding for?" Her voice, to the boy in front of her, was soft and melodic, yet her words seemed so hostile and made Gray feel quite embarrassed for being caught "hiding".

"Uh, sorry. I'm Gray. I didn't mean to intrude but you were really good and I didn't want to cut off your session." He raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his, and Juvia gave him a slightly puzzled look as her cheeks heated up, but smiled nonetheless. And that minute she smiled, Gray could swear he could write paragraphs on how she looked. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes bright, and her lips curled into this beautiful and breathtaking smile that pushed his "attraction" towards her even more. "Well, I'm Juvia, nice to meet you Gray-sama." she said gently, extending a hand for him to shake whilst keeping her positive smile evident. He carefully shook her hand, his thoughts a straight mess. They had known each other for literal minutes and Gray could already tell that somehow she would make a mess of his life.

And dear god, did she honestly make a mess.

The second time they met, it was at her dorm. She had been forced to move out of her old dorm into a new one, with a girl named Erza Scarlet. They had immediately became friends, much to Juvia's relief, and had began hanging out quite often, despite being completely opposite majors (Erza was studying law while Juvia was studying to be a biology major). The only difference between them was that Erza has a large group of friends, while Juvia only had one friend by the name of Gajeel Redfox. He was barely even considered a friend, more like a brother to her. Juvia was studying for a test at around 10 pm (she was really good at procrasinating) and heard a knock on the door. Her immediate response was that it was one of Erza's friend, however the scarlet haired roommate was spending the night with her boyfriend, Jellal. She slowly got up from her small bed and ran her fingers through her hair in attempt to make herself look decent, regardless of the fact that she was wearing a shirt two sizes too big and a pair of shorts that were hidden underneath the oversized hem of the shirt. She tugged the door open and opened her mouth to say that Erza wasn't home, but it happened to be Gray at the door. "Hey Erza listen- oh wait." Gray began, then realized that he had spoke too soon. His brows furrowed in confusion as he looked at the dorm number and at Juvia, then said, "Am I at the right dorm or did Erza move or something?" Juvia, who was also confused, shook her head slightly before saying, "Erza lives here, I moved in around last month since her old roommate left and I was forced out of mine. Do you need me to pass on a message or something?"

She wanted them to talk longer personally but would never say that aloud, considering they'd spoken once. "Oh well, shit. I needed her help in calculus, and she texted me saying I should come today but I got caught up at work and tomorrow we have a pop quiz and I know nothing about the lesson." He explained, running his fingers through his hair (which Juvia practically died at). Juvia thought for a moment, but before her brain could properly make a choice she said, "I could help you. I mean, I'm no expert on calc, but I took it last term and could probably try and explain, since Erza won't be home till tomorrow."

"No Gray-sama, you're getting the equations mixed up, you don't use that one here." Juvia explained for the 3rd time, taking Gray's pencil from his hand and rewriting the correct answer for him, explaining step by step. "I'm failing tomorrow, how fun." He said sarcastically as Juvia handed him back his pencil. "Are you calling me a bad teacher?" She laughed, and for a moment Gray just stared at her face while she laughed, a wide grin making its way onto his face. "I think it's more that I'm a terrible student, really. You're explaining quite well, thanks." Gray said, causing Juvia's cheeks to flare up. "Thanks, now try again with exercises 24, 25, and 26. If you get them right, you'll get a break." As she said that, she grabbed her own textbook for chemistry and began studying where she left off. It was silent for a few moments, the only sounds being Gray's pencil scratching against the paper. Juvia didn't really mind the quiet, since her brain was being filled with chemical equations and molecular structures, and honestly, she grew up in the quiet, since her parents had both given her up and lived alone for a big majority of her life (the other half being with her uncle).

After Juvia managed to finish the chapter required for her exam, she looked over at Gray to see that he was staring down at his notes with confusion. "Need help?" Her voice made him practically jump as he looked up at her, then reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I understood everything, it's just that some questions confuse me. All in all though, I'll get at least a B on the test tomorrow." He shrugged, then closed his book and looked over at Juvia. "What are you studying?" "Chemistry. I finished though, thankfully." She said, then placed the book on the bedside table before checking her phone for the time (not that it mattered to her honestly) before looking over at Gray. "By the way, why did you come here for Erza? I know she has loads of friends, but I didn't expect you to be one of them..." She trailed off, and Gray let out a small laugh. "Well we were neighbors as kids, and we had this group of friends growing up consisting of me, her, and a few others, and soon enough we graduated and decided to all stay in the same city. She was the smartest kid back in high school and so I still come to her when I need help in subjects." His smile stuck on his face as he said that, and Juvia nodded. "That's cute. I moved here in my first year of high school, then stayed for uni. Growing up though I wasn't as lucky in the friendship department as you, sadly."

They stayed silent for a few moments, and Juvia could feel herself getting sleepier. Gray opened his bag, shoving his books in it, then stood up. "Well, if you ever need someone to hang out with, you have Erza and I, our group doesn't mind additions, however a fair warning is that they will drive you insane, in the best way." He said, then pulled his bag onto his shoulder and gave her a small wave. Juvia stood up as he made his way out, saying a tired "good bye" as the door shut behind him.

The third time they met was through the deal Gray had made with her. After Erza found out about Gray and Juvia's encounter, she had made sure that Juvia would join in on their adventures from time to time, and today happened to be one of those times. Juvia had waken up early one Saturday, forcibly, by Erza and told her that Juvia would be joining her and her group of friends in a nature trip. "What even is a 'nature trip'?" Juvia had asked half asleep, putting air quotes on the words. "Simple," Erza began, "We go to this small lake in the woods and we spend the day there. We swim, hike, and then usually have a barbecue. We end the day with a huge bonfire that includes s'mores and stories. You're not allowed to ditch on me, so get up and put on a swimsuit and some shorts."

Juvia hated disagreeing with Erza, so she simple picked herself, threw on a lilac bikini covered by a white crop top and some frayed shorts, and packed up what she believed she'd need for the day. "Just so you know, I planned to skate today. The rink was meant to be empty." Juvia said as she slipped into her black van's, and Erza laughed. "Just so you know, Gray is co-captain of the hockey team. If you ever want to skate, just let him know and he'd probably reschedule their practice or something." She said, and Juvia rolled her eyes, but none the less followed Erza out of the dorm. They ended up renting a bus, or at least Natsu did (not that Juvia even knew who he was, she just listened to what her roommate had told her), and were using to drive an hour and a half away to the lake.

"I promise you'll love everyone you're about to meet, okay? I swear to you they're the sweetest people in the world, and you'll have a great day. It's better than skating alone, I can tell you that much." Erza basically ranted, as she and Juvia made their way to where the bus was, which was just a few blocks away from their dorm. Juvia nodded along to her words, her gaze ahead and her heart beating at a slightly faster pace. Juvia disliked meeting new people personally, and so hearing that she would be meeting such a large group of people was a nightmare to her. However she refused to turn around, only because of the bright smile Erza carried. Her scarlet haired friend was practically bouncing with joy due to the fact that all of her friends would become one large group, instead of having to talk to each separately. As the bus came into view, she could hear many voices loud and clear, and Juvia could feel her palms beginning to sweat. "This was a bad-" Juvia began, but Erza had cut her off mid sentence. "Everyone, meet Juvia Lockser, my roommate. Juvia, this is Natsu, his girlfriend Lucy, Mirajane and her siblings Elfman and Lisanna, Elfman's girlfriend Evergreen, Cana, Levy, Freed, Loke, Laxus, Bickslow my boyfriend Jellal, and finally, Gray, who you've already met before."

"OI GRAY SO THAT'S THE CHICK YOU-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP NATSU!" Gray exclaimed, just as Lucy elbowed Natsu in the stomach, causing him to double over and grip his midsection in pain. Lucy looked back over at Juvia and gave a small wave and a smile. "Hi Juvia. I can promise you that my boyfriend won't be as annoying as he just was." Juvia smiled, giving a wave back. "Hi everyone." She said, and Erza clapped her hands together. "Alright well, let's get on the bus shall we? Who's driving?" She asked, and Laxus raised his hand, showing that he was the designated driver for the trip. Everyone began piling into the bus, and as Juvia followed behind them, an arm wrapped itself around her shoulder. "Alright so I'm gonna tell you from now, you're sitting next to me and I'm gonna promise we'll be best friends." Juvia looked over to see Cana had wrapped herself around Juvia, and she let out a small laugh. She could already feel like she could fit right in, and as Gray had told her before, they may begin to drive her crazy, but in the best way.

Just as the bus started moving, Juvia was sat beside Cana, who pulled out a carton of beer from her bag and offered one to Juvia. "Oh, I don't drink." She simply said, and Cana let out a sound of what seemed like disgust and shock together, and looked over to Erza, who was watching a movie with her boyfriend on the tablet. "YO ERZA, WHY DIDN'T YOU SHOW YOUR LIL ROOMMATE HERE THE WONDERS OF ALCOHOL?" Cana practically screamed, and Erza spun in her seat, giving Cana a dark look. "Because she's smart, on a scholarship, a great skater, works, and has a good life. She doesn't need alcohol to ruin that." She retorted, and as Cana sunk back into her seat, Juvia's cheeks burned a dark red. "Damn, Juvia you have your shit together, unlike half the people here." One of the boys, Juvia is pretty sure he's Loke, said with a laugh and Gray, who was sat beside him, laughed as well. "No wonder you could help me with calculus. I got a B+ by the way, thanks." He said, looking over at Juvia and giving a smile. Juvia's cheeks burned a bit more, and she smiled. "Good to know." He turned back around after she said that, however she could still see a smile on his lips as she heard him and Loke begin a new conversation.

Almost 45 minutes had passed, and everyone had already began treating Juvia as if she's been a life long friend. Lisanna had braided Juvia's hair into two cute french braids, Cana had joked around with her more times than she could count, and Lucy simply just made Juvia feel welcome enough to the point where she felt like she never wanted to leave. She thought she was the only one who felt this way, however Lisanna proved her otherwise. "Okay Juvia, I'm telling you from now: You're never leaving. Welcome to the squad." Juvia let out a small giggle as those words escaped Lisanna's mouth, and Erza, who had watched 2 movies with Jellal before joining on their conversations, smiled widely. "You're all welcome." She said simply, and her smile turned into a clear smirk. "Juvia, are you sure you're straight?" Cana said, and the bluenette practically choked on her own spit as everyone in the bus immediately quieted down, with the exeption of Gray. "Cana what the fu-" He began, but I cut him off. "I'm positive I am, believe me, I tried it." Juvia said simply, and Cana stared at her in disbelief.

"Oh my god, Juvia has tried to get with a girl. OH MY GOD, I have so much more respect for you." Cana said, then the small group laughed. "Why did you ask anyway?" Juvia asked, and Cana gave her a joking wink. "You're hot, and I'm bisexual and hopeful." Juvia's cheeks flared, "Oh well, who knows?" She said jokingly, and broke into a fit of laughter with Cana, while Levy said softly, "We all really do approve of Juvia joining this group."

After another mindless hour of jokes and 'flirting', they had finally arrived at the

lake and as Juvia hopped down from the bus, she took in the large surroundings, and to her, it was truly beautiful. The lake was clear blue, and Juvia personally adored swimming and couldn't wait to jump in, the land surrounding it was lush green, and lastly, what looked like a small dock was set up and had a grill and a long picnic table made of wood. She could also spot a big bonfire area, since it was the only spot where she didn't see grass. As she took this all in, Natsu had run past her, slipping his shirt off in the process and tossing it to the floor, splashing into the lake in a big cannonball. "YO, FLAME BRAIN, WAIT FOR US!" Gray screamed, just as he and Loke both stripped off their shirts and followed after him (and Juvia would be lying to herself if she didn't practically drool at the moment she saw Gray's toned chest, but that was something that'd stay buried in her brain). Mirajane turned to the girls and gave them a wide smile. "Well, shall we do the same?" She said excitedly, and the girls all began taking off their cover ups, Juvia joining in immediately then running after Cana and Erza, who had already gotten into the water. She did the same as the others and jumped in, allowing the cold water to hit her body, then resurfaced and gave everyone a bright smile. As soon as everyone was into the water (with the exception of Laxus and Freed, who were tending to the grill and the food), they had decided to hold a race, to which Juvia practically jumped at. "Alright, so it's Natsu, Erza, Gray, and Juvia all against each other. First person to Elfman wins. Ready?" Levy explained, and the four swimmers nodded. "Alright then, go!" She exclaimed, and as the words left her mouth, Juvia dived in and shot ahead of the 3 others, her legs propelling her ahead of everyone else, as she paddled her arms as well. She could see Elfman already, and as soon as her arm hit his own, she pulled herself to stand upright, as everyone cheered. "Damn, you're good." Gray complimented, him being in second place. Juvia smiled once again (she seemed to be doing that a lot) then said, "I was on the varsity swim team." "Wait then that's not fair!" He shot back, and Juvia laughed.

"Don't be a sore loser." She said, and stuck out her tongue, causing Gray to roll his eyes, but smile nonetheless. Her heart fluttered in her chest, but she chose to push that aside.

The sun had began to set as everyone finally pulled themselves out of the lake, then sat down to eat. The food itself was great, although they were just burgers and hot dogs, that Bickslow and Elfman had grilled. Juvia had decided to sit down next to Jellal, who Erza was clinging onto lovingly, and Laxus stared at them momentarily, before asking, "Are you guys related?" She and Jellal looked at each other, then Loke said, "I immediately assumed you guys were related too, I didn't bother to mention it though." Jellal turned back to the two asking, and shook his head. "Nah, we aren't related. I wish we were, it'd be cool." He said, and Erza gasped, then said, "That'd be so amazing, like both of you would be really close and I'm close to both of you, obviously."

"I don't have any siblings, sadly, so it'd be cool to have you as a sibling to me too." Juvia laughed, and then the conversation shifted to a discussion about annoying siblings started by Lisanna, who later got hit upside the head by her loving sister. When the food had all finished, the group headed over to the bonfire, and Juvia sat herself between Gray and Cana while Natsu quickly lit the fire. As everyone was roasting marshmallows, Gray had decided to strike up a conversation. "So, how are you liking this very loud group of people?" He looked over at her, and she momentarily shifted her eyes from the fire to his, but answered with her gaze back on the flames. "They're everything I've ever wanted in friends, so thank you for welcoming me. It's nice to not be an outsider anymore." She could see him smile in the corner of her eye, so she decided to stop being rude and look at him. As soon as she did, her heart practically jumped in her chest, because his smile was so gorgeous it bought so many unwanted feelings that she chose to ignore. "Well, you're always welcome here now, Cana basically pulled me and Erza aside and told me that everyone approves of you, so that we wouldn't try to make you be unwelcome."

She laughed softly at his words, and then said, "Please don't. I'd like to stay close." Gray looked at her for a moment, before pulling out his phone and handing it to her. "Put in your number. Now we'll have to stay close, since the chances of me passing it on to everyone is high." He smiled, and Juvia took it from his hands and entered in her number, saving the contact under her name. She handed it back with a smile, and after a few taps on the screen, Gray showed her the new contact name she had.

 _Skating Nerd_

Juvia laughed as her heart went against her for the thousandth time that day, and Gray smiled. "The first time I met you, I saw you skate- wonderfully. Then I found out you're a total geek." She shook her head and shoved her shoulder into his. "There's nothing wrong with being smart. Thanks for the compliment though, but I don't like sweet talk." She laughed, and he shook his head. "I don't sweet talk. Keep that in mind."

And once again, she hated how much butterflies were exploding in her chest, but this time; she didn't stop them.


	2. Chapter 2

Almost two weeks after the trip to the lake, Juvia was at the happiest state mentally. True to Gray's words, he had given everyone her number and now she and the other girls had stayed in touch with each other.

Currently, it was almost 4 am and Juvia, Erza, Lisanna, Levy, Lucy, Evergreen, Cana, and Mirajane had stuffed themselves into the small dorm room that belonged to Cana, as they sat around and watched chick flicks. The movie currently playing was The Vow, and as Juvia constantly shoved skittles in her mouth, she kept fighting back the tears in her eyes as the movie reached its end.

"Well, that was great." Levy said, stretching out her arms in front of her, Lucy doing the same and nodding.

"It really sucks being single and watching these, doesn't it?" Lisanna sighed, Juvia laughing along to her words.

"Please, no one will ever be as single as I am. I haven't had a boyfriend since the 10th grade." She retorted, watching as the girls all turned to her abruptly. "How have you not had a boyfriend?" Mirajane asked in wonder, which led Juvia to shrug slightly.

"I grew up with an uncle who didn't know anything about dating, and was bullied most of my life. I didn't really scream 'girlfriend material'..." She trailed off, causing Cana to smile widely, giving her a small wink. "Well, you won't be single much longer." She stated, and Juvia gave her a look of confusion, leading Evergreen to roll her eyes.

"Come on Juvia, you and Gray have a thing, right?" She said, making the bluenette choke on the water she had decided to take a drink of.

"Gray-sama and I don't have a 'thing'!" Juvia exclaimed, putting air quotes when required, and then continued, "He doesn't like me that way, nor do I." Erza began to shake her head, then patted Juvia on the shoulder. "You clearly have much to learn about Gray, Juvs."

After that sentence was said, Lucy had shifted her attention back to Netflix, setting up yet another movie for them to watch while ignoring the fact that the sun was rising.

 _[Gray-sama - 6:53 PM]_

 _Are you busy?_

Juvia heart lept in her chest as she read the four words on her small screen, and opted to call him instead of sending out a text. She was currently at the cafe she worked at, however business was always slow on Tuesday which meant she was 110% bored with the lack of customers and needed some sort of company, and calling Gray seemed right.

She listened to the phone's continual ringing till she finally heard him pick up. "Hello?" His voice rang through her ear, smiled widely. "Hey Gray-sama. To answer your text, I'm at work." She said, sitting herself down on the small stool in front of the cash register.

"Oh, well I was bored and almost everyone is out with their significant other or studying, so I thought to call you. Where do you work?"

"At the corner cafe on 2nd Street. Business is so slow I'm honestly gonna murder myself with the coffee machine if I don't get any entertainment." She sighed, and Gray's laugh was heard through the phone. "I'll be there in 10 minutes, please don't commit any murder till I arrive." He said after clearing up his laughter, and Juvia smiled. "No promises." She said, then hung up just as Gray began to laugh again.

During the 10 minutes between his arrival and the call, Juvia had decided to do most of the things she should do before close up, like checking the cash register and cleaning up the coffee makers slightly. She was putting away some cups in the dish washer and stepped out from the back room just as she heard the front bell chime.

Juvia gave a small wave once she saw Gray's familiar face enter, her lips forming a smile as well. He smiled, then sat down at one of the small corner tables and then said, "Business is really slow, come sit down here for once."

She laughed but nonetheless sat down across from him, then said, "I didn't murder myself. How nice." He nodded, chuckling slightly at her words.

"I'm glad. Anyway, why do you work here? I'm curious." She shrugged, then began, "My parents died when I was young- I didn't even know who they were, then I began living with a foster family where I met my friend, whom I consider a brother honestly, Gajeel, and his parents pay for half my college tuition, the other half is through a scholarship, and so I needed a job. My parents didn't leave much for me to live with. Based on what the ONE uncle I know told me, they were absolute crap at keeping their money in check and wasted it on the most useless of things." She ended her sentence with a laugh, and Gray stared at her intently, then shook his head slightly.

"You never fail to amaze me."

Juvia could feel her cheeks flaming as she gave him a slight smile, then asked, "What about you? Got any insane family members like mine?" Gray let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, yeah. Basically, my mom died when I was young, along with my dad, so I went into foster care, where I moved in to a house with a boy my age, Lyon, and a girl, Ultear, and finally a mom named Ur.

She passed away as well too, just when I turned 18. Then, and this'll probably shock you just as much as it shocked me, my dad found me living in my dorm here a few months back. He explained a lot to me, but basically he faked his death. So thankfully, I have him back." He explained, his gaze wandering to anything but hers, fearing that she'd judge him or anything.

However, she began giggling, and Gray had to stop looking away to watch her.

The way she looked right at that moment was something Gray wished he could have framed. His heart was practically fluttering in his chest (he was trying to ignore it) as he watched her laugh. Not only was the sound itself glorious, but the way her cheeks constantly had this rosy tint when he was around, the way she had accepted his insane past with a simple laugh, the way her hair was framing her face in the most perfect way, it made Gray realize that he was either turning insane or he was falling for Juvia Lockser.

He chose to go with the first one.

Juvia stirred in her sleep for the umpteenth time that night, her fingers reaching out to grab her phone and check it.

2:06 AM

Why was she awake? She could answer that, but she chose not to. See, Juvia hated her heart. It would always cause problems with her, leading her to falling for wrong people. A perfect example was her ex, but she chose not to get into that at 2 am in fear that she'd sob so loud Erza would wake up.

It was one of these moments where she really regretted her ability to fall so far for someone, hence her inability to sleep. Whenever she tried to, her mind would bring her back to dark blue eyes, raven hair, and a precious smile that she held ever so dearly.

Yep, Juvia Lockser was falling for Gray Fullbuster, despite all the comments her friends have told her.

She had mentioned it to Erza, who had sighed immediately at her words.

 _"Juvia, why him?" Her scarlet haired friend had said, letting out a loud sigh._

 _"Gray is a special case. He may laugh and smile nowadays, but when it truly comes to opening up his heart, he is truly awful. He doesn't trust, I've never heard him say an 'I love you' ever in my entire time knowing him, he probably doesn't even know what love is." She trailed off, and Juvia's face fell._

 _Noticing her friend's sadness, Erza began again, "But I think that he may be falling for you. He asked me about you the other day between classes, and that may seem like nothing to you but with Gray, little things mean a lot. Plus, he's never befriended anyone new, girls especially. His last girlfriend was nasty. Maybe you could be a fresh start."_

The blunette shifted positions in bed once again as she recalled Erza's words. She was falling so fast for Gray, and yet she didn't have any hope that he would like her back. He was such a mystery to her, and maybe that's what attracts her towards him, but it's also what is tearing her apart.

Juvia, finally realizing that she wasn't getting any sleep, sat up, grabbing her laptop, earphones, and phone. She quickly plugged in her earphones to the laptop and turned on Netflix.

As the home screen showed up, she opened up snapchat and took a picture of her feet under the blankets and the laptop screen. Using the time filter, she captioned it 'One of those days' then posted it to her story. She rarely did those types of things, but then again she rarely did stay up till practically 3 am on a Sunday.

She turned on one of her favorite TV shows, and settled back against her pillows. Half way through the episode, however, her phone began vibrating in her lap and she thanked god it was on silent mode.

As she looked down at the screen, her heart pounced in her chest, noticing that Gray was calling her. Juvia answered almost immediately after seeing that it was him, however practically whispered out a, "Hello, Gray-sama."

"Why are you awake at 3:23 AM?" His voice was also on a quiet tone, however was definitely a bit louder than his, but he has Natsu as a roommate and that pink haired boy could sleep through hurricanes.

"I can't sleep, so I thought a few reruns of How I Met Your Mother would help. Is that a crime?" She simply retorted, playing with the one ear bud she pulled out to answer the call. Juvia heard him let out a small chuckle on the other end, and her heart did a small leap in her chest.

One day, Gray Fullbuster was going to send her into cardiac arrest. "Well, depending on the season, it could be a crime. The last episode disgusts me." He said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone, and although he couldn't see it, she rolled her eyes. "I'm rewatching season one, don't worry."

She buried her head in a pillow after pulling out the other ear bud and pushing her laptop father away from her. "I could hear you roll your eyes at me, Juvia, but let's be real: That was an utterly crap ending." Gray said, causing Juvia to let out a small giggle.

"If Erza wakes up, I'm blaming you, Gray-sama. But anyway, yes, that was a terrible ending."

On the other end of the call, Gray Fullbuster laid in his own bed, a wide smile forming on his lips as he heard her half-asleep voice speak to her. He was debating whether to call her or not for 20 minutes, since he couldn't sleep either, and was glad he did in the end. Just the way she called him "Gray-sama" lifted his dark mood up.

"I think everyone agrees with me. Anyway, why can't you sleep?" He asked, and heard a small shrug on the other end. "Just some overthinking, not much really." It took him a few moments to fully comprehend the sentence, due to her mumbling, but then heard her voice perk up. "What about you?"

"Oh, you know," He began, "Just some bad dreams and bad thoughts. The usual."

As those words escaped his lips, Juvia hated the fact that the sentence seemed so casual, as if he was used to the reoccurance of bad dreams. She, however, did not push on the subject, since she knew that if she was in that position she would not like to be pushed.

"Well, I hope my lame conversations are helping with your lack of sleep." She retorted with a tint of a joking tone, and although he couldn't see her, he nodded. "Yeah, you are, thanks. By the way, what's your major? Just curious."

"Biology. You?" She replied simply, shifting herself ever-so slightly and letting out a yawn. "Mechanical engineering." He said, and the line grew quiet for a minute, till Gray spoke up again.

"Hey, you're getting sleepy. I'm gonna go.." He trailed off, and Juvia nodded, although he couldn't see the nod. "Mhm, good night, Gray-sama."

As the line clicked off, both Juvia and Gray fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

"Lisanna, wait!" Juvia practically cried out, running after her white-haired friend with a laugh. Lisanna was such a loud and insane type of friend, and now Juvia chased her as she tried to steal Juvia's phone after lunch.

Lisanna let out a laugh, shaking her head, but stopping nonetheless. "Well Juvia, if you just show me what I asked for, I wouldn't have to be doing this." She stated, causing an eye roll from the bluenette, who then exclaimed, "I'm not showing you my text messages! That's private!"

"Nothing is private from a best friend, sweetheart." Lisanna retorted with a sly grin, and Juvia huffed in defeat, reciting out her pass code to her friend.

She let out a small squeal as she typed in the code, and Juvia could see her working her fingers to check through the phone. Honestly the bluenette had nothing to hide, but her white-haired best friend believed otherwise. Ever since their first meeting, Juvia had become closest to Cana and Lisanna (and close to everyone else too, they were like family to her) and they were two very snoopy people who enjoyed searching her entire life history to figure out any secret she kept.

Just as Juvia was expecting her phone back, Lisanna let out a loud gasp, looking up at the awaiting friend.

"You and Gray called each other at 3 am? AND talked for an hour?" Lisanna said accusingly, and Juvia raised a brow.

"Yes, we did. He called me after I posted on snapchat, and we spoke for an hour before both of us fell asleep. It was 2 days ago, anyway. Why are you so suprised?" She retorted, and Lisanna shook her head, saying, "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me though! You have a huge crush on him, and yet you don't say a word!"

Juvia shrugged and managed to pluck her phone out of the grasp of her friend. "I may have a crush, but I won't announce it to the world. Who knows who may spill?", she said, then continued, "Anyway, I'm heading to the ice rink."

Juvia waved a simple good-bye before heading out of the cafeteria and made her way into the rink, smiling to herself as a gust of cold wind hit her face.

She entered slowly although it was suspected to be empty, however was shocked when she heard laughter moments after she completely entered the icey room.

"Come on Lyon, you can do better than that!" A voice chided, causing Juvia to stop in her tracks. She knew the voice all too well, as well as the name Lyon, due to multiple childhood stories she's heard.

Gray-sama.

She spent a few moments debating with herself whether to leave or stay, but in the end the part of her that wanted to see Gray won, which is why she made her way down the bleachers and to the door of the rink.

Just as she sat down on one of the front bleachers, Gray had turned, causing their eyes to meet. "Juvia?" His voice was laced with confusion, and a hint of something she couldn't figure out. The bluenette gave a sheepish wave, her cheeks tinting a shade of pink.

"I thought it was going to be empty, I hope I'm not interrupting a hockey session or anything." She explained with a small smile, and Gray shrugged. "Nah, you're not, my brother just came to visit and I decided to show him how to skate."

He gestured to the white-haired boy (Juvia never truly liked the word 'man') skating in small circles beside him, but stopping once he heard his name.

"Lyon, this is Juvia." Gray introduced, and Juvia waved, giving him a small smile. Lyon, on the other hand, paused momentarily and stared at her.

"Oi, don't drool." A loud pang echoed through the rink as Gray slapped his brother's back, and Juvia let out a small giggle. "Hi Lyon-sama, nice to meet you. I'm Juvia." She extended a hand to him, to which he took and kissed the back of.

"The pleasure's all mine." He stated smoothly, giving the blunette a small wink as her cheeks flamed up.

"Don't flirt in front of me please, it's sad to see how desperate you are." Gray deadpanned, his tone playful, however Juvia could tell that there was a faint tone of anger.

"I'm sorry Gray, but you've introduced me to a very attractive girl, and I'm not passing up a chance to ask her out." His brother retorted, and at this point Juvia's cheeks were darker than Erza's hair.

She let out an awkward laugh before Gray could open his mouth to reply, and looked at the pair.

"Well Lyon-sama, I think your brother made you come to this rink to learn to skate, not flirt." She smiled after her words, then skated away from the two, calling behind her, "If you're actually good at skating, you'd catch me!"

Both brothers immediately began to skate behind her, Gray cursing out a string of profanities whilst Lyon let out loud yet cheesy pick-up lines that made Juvia laugh as she skated around the rink.

Gray had managed to catch up to the skating bluenette, however made no effort to 'catch' her in any way, only allowing himself to skate beside her. "Good to see you're getting along with my brother." He said, Juvia letting out another laugh.

"He's a special case, you're lucky to have him." She replied, causing Gray to let out a chuckle. "Yeah, he's special."

They paused for a moment, catching their breathe and waiting for the white-haired boy to catch up. He had fallen a couple of times, however still caught up nonetheless.

After another hour of skating that included many falls, many profanities, and many pick up lines, Juvia had decided to offer to go to lunch with the two.

"Juvia-chan, you're so sweet to offer us to lunch, but wouldn't it be better if it was just the two of us?" Lyon said, causing Gray to grit his teeth and Juvia to let out a laugh, shaking her head as they sat down in a booth at one of Juvia's favorite restaurants.

"That's for another day, Lyon-sama." The bluenette joked, and Gray, who had been drinking a sip of water, choked and began coughing loudly. She let out a small giggle as Lyon patted his brother on the back, in attempts to help.

"I'm alright, I can breathe again." Gray said once he cleared his throat, and Juvia laughed once again.

Her laugh was one of Gray's favorite things in the world, however she didn't know it. He knew she was only kidding with Lyon, that it was all playful banter, but deep inside he had to admit that there was a side of him ready to punch his white-haired brother for making Juvia laugh.

"Good to see you're alive, Gray-sama." The bluenette said with a cheeky smile, causing a grin to form on the boy's lips. "It's not really that great." Lyon stated, causing Gray to scoff.

"Glad to see you care." He deadpanned, while Juvia was ordering burgers for the three of them. Once she had finished, the waitress mentioned drinks and causing Gray to speak up. "One iced tea, one Sprite, and a root beer, thanks." He recited, and watched as the waitress copied it all down before walking away.

"How did you know what I wanted?" Juvia asked, a look of both awe and confusion on her face. He shrugged, glancing at her.

"I pay more attention then you'd think, and your mini fridge is stocked with iced tea that I know isn't Erza's."

Juvia's cheeks burned slightly as she said, "They're what I need to get through 3 am study sessions." Gray laughed before saying, "or 3 am phone calls.", which only led Juvia's cheeks to burn brighter and Lyon to stare at the two in confusion.

As they ate, more stories of their youth were told, one including a certain dark-haired child wetting himself in class, that almost had Juvia spitting out her iced tea. By the time they had finished eating, the sun had begun to set and Lyon had to call a cab to get back to the hotel he was staying at for a week.

Gray and Juvia had opted out of public transportation and decided to walk side by side. "I never saw you as the kid to wet himself." Juvia said after moments of silence, causing Gray to scowl.

"That idiot and his big mouth." He muttered under his breath. "It was the first time I had to speak in front of class, and the dumb teacher wouldn't let a 7-year-old go piss. Don't blame me." He huffed, causing the girl to giggle.

"I wet the bed till I was 10, don't worry." She stated as the campus of Magnolia Fairy Institute came into vision, and she looked up at Gray, remembering a question she had. "Hey, where does Lyon study?"

Her question seemed to have snapped him out of some daze, since she had to repeat it once again to get an answer. "Lamia University. It's a few hours away by bus." He shrugged, and she nodded.

They walked the rest of the distance to her dorm in silence, and Juvia realized that Gray was following her into the dorm building. "You can go home you know, or come over." Juvia said, after a moment of debating.

"I'm being nice and walking you to your door." He said with a laugh as they entered the elevator.

She laughed slightly, then said, "Glad chivalry isn't completely dead." while pressing the number of her floor and watching the door shut. "Pretty sure it is, though." He replied with another laugh, causing her to shake her head.

They walked to her door in silence, till she was about to enter her room and Gray decided to speak up.

He wasn't going to lie to himself and say that his next few sentences were honestly the hardest things he was going to say, and he also wasn't going to lie and say that he wasn't scared to actually say them at out. But then again, if he didn't do it now, he knew he'd take 10 years to do it instead.

Well, now or never, right?

"Uh, Juvia, when you said you'd go out with Lyon, were you serious?" He asked, his voice hinting his nervousness as he rubbed the back of his neck. Juvia froze in place, pulling her hand away from the doorknob and turning to him.

"I wasn't serious persay, however if he asked me out in a friendly sort of way, I wouldn't say no. However if it was a date, I'd reject." She explained, her cheeks heating up slightly as Gray let out a mental sigh of relief.

"Okay, but why would you say no?" He asked, allowing himself to lean against the wall outside her dorm. Juvia contemplated the question, her mind already knowing the answer but her heart being too scared to admit it out loud.

She let out an inaudible sigh, then reached out once again for the doorknob, giving him a small smile.

"I can't tell you." She said, before turning and entering her dorm and recalling to her scarlet-haired roommate the events of the day, not forgetting to include the questions Gray had asked her moments ago.

And although Gray would never say this out loud, his heart was hammering in his chest outside her door just as fast as Juvia's was while she curled up into a ball on her bed.


End file.
